


Three for Three

by jayyxx



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, sad david is sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 19:27:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16646264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jayyxx/pseuds/jayyxx
Summary: Three out of the three Liebermans he’s seen today have cried. He guesses hedoeshave that affect on people.





	Three for Three

**Author's Note:**

> uhhhhhhh hi i have like six other fics going right now but here’s this. *coughs* 
> 
> set in ep8. the best ep. after david almost blows his cover with zach

When he gets home —funny that he’s started calling this dark and dusty basement home— he instantly sees David’s distress. 

“Oh jeez,” he sighs, stepping out of the car. That’s the third Lieberman who’s cried in front of him today. He’s three for three. 

He stares from outside the hub for a moment, watching David sit completely still, other than his shoulders jumping slightly when he sniffles. He looks miserable, and Frank has to rub his forehead before even thinking out how to deal with this. “I’m home,” he calls, ignoring the obviousness of the statement. 

David wipes his nose on his sleeve lazily, his arm flapping sloppily. “Hi,” he replies. 

Frank makes his way over to him. He’s sat in the middle of all his computers —where he feels safest— in his wheelie chair. His blanket is wrapped completely around him, up to his chin. He’s a sad sight, so Frank sighs. 

“Hey,” he starts, “why don’t you go lie down. I’ll watch over this for a bit.” 

Shaking his head, David only rolls his chair closer to the screen where his family is shown sitting at the dining table. Frank sighs: “c’mon, I’ll plug in the heated blanket out for ya’, or play you some music.” Frank comes closer, reaching over to tug David’s blanket tighter around him.

David chuckles. “You only know one song,” he chirps, even if it is sad and watery. 

Grinning, Frank ruffles a hand through the guy’s hair, trying to keep the smile on his face for even a moment longer. 

It doesn’t last, because as soon David turns his face back to the screen, and soon as he sees what he’s _missing—_

“Hey,” Frank whisperer, turning his head away. 

David looks somewhere off behind him. “I can’t do this anymore, Frank... I just can’t be... I can’t...”

“I know,” Frank tells him, sinking to his knees beside his chair, “I know.” Both his hands come up to cup David’s face, trying to shake him out of this strange hazy cloud he’s fallen into. “And I’m gonna fix it, okay? I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll talk to Madani, I’ll talk to the Billy, I’ll do whatever you want.”

David slumps against Frank’s hands, eyes still dripping. He nods. 

“But you gotta give me a little more time. Okay? In the mean time I’m gonna protect them,” he points to the screen, but doesn’t let David’s head turn to look, “and protect you,” his hand comes back to bury in his beard. He sucks in a breath. “You just gotta hang out in his basement with me for a little while longer. Okay?”

As miserable as he looks, David seems to pick up everything he puts down. He nods again. 

“I promise I’m gonna get you back to them.” Frank swears, pulling their foreheads together. “I promise.” 

David holds his breath for a very long time before shuddering, moving his head away from Frank’s and down onto his shoulder, letting out a sob as he presses his face into Frank’s neck. 

Frank holds him for a moment. Would hold him forever. Like he would hold Zach, or Sarah, or Leo, or his own family, forever. He presses the back of David’s neck, holding him close, turning his own face into that scraggly hair. “C’mon, let’s go to bed.”

Agreeing, David grabs his blanket tighter and stands, his forehead the last thing to move away from Frank. Frank trails behind him, walking over to the cots and watching him collapse into it, curling up like a cat. 

“You wanna sleep with me?” David asks with his face against the pillow, so it sounds more like a grumbled murmur than anything else. 

Frank sits on the edge and tugs his blanket up. They slept in the same bed last night, while they were both hammered and sad and scared. Maybe that’s why he’s asking, since he’s two of the three. 

“Nah, buddy. I’m gonna watch your cameras, okay?”

“Okay,” David nods, already half asleep, exhausted from the day. 

Frank gets up to leave him to his beauty rest when David’s head snaps up. “Hey...! What about my heated blanket!?”

Chucking, Frank puts his hands up in defence. “Oh _okay,_ you brat.” David scoffs, ready to react until he sees Frank digging for it in the drawer under the cabinet. 

He drapes it over him, plugging it into the extension cord that connects this room to the main one. He off-handedly wonders about the electricity bill of this place. 

David hums happily as the heat starts up, and Frank drapes the comforter he had kicked to the floor this morning over the lump that is David Lieberman. 

He pats him on the back. “Get some rest.”

David agrees, and does just that.

**Author's Note:**

> visit me @ [ghostcas](http://www.ghostycas.tumblr.com) on tumblr xoxo


End file.
